Discover how Java has evolved into a powerful scripting language, eliminating boilerplate and enabling instant execution for automation tasks

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Modern Java has evolved into a viable scripting language, eliminating traditional barriers like manual compilation and verbose boilerplate. Since Java 11, the `java` launcher can run source files directly without `javac`. Java 22 extended this to multi-file programs. Java 25 introduces Compact Source Files and Instance Main Methods, reducing boilerplate to a simple `void main()`. Shebang support lets Java files run as native CLI scripts. JBang further enhances this by handling dependency management (no Maven/Gradle needed), IDE integration, and GraalVM native binary export. Picocli integrates with JBang to build professional CLI tools with typed argument parsing and auto-generated help. Together, these features make Java a practical, maintainable alternative to Bash or Python for automation scripts.

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